To provide wireless connectivity and communication between devices in a wireless network such as a wireless PAN (personal area network), a wireless LAN (local area network) a wireless WAN (wide area network), a cellular network, or virtually any radio network or system), it is necessary to equip the receivers and transmitters (or tranceivers) with antennas to efficiently radiate (transmit) or receiver the desired signals to/from other elements of the network.
With conventional radio communication systems, such as millimeter-wave radio communication systems, discrete components are encapsulated or mounted individually with low integration levels on a printed circuit board, package or substrate. For millimeter-wave applications, these radio communications systems are typically built using expensive and bulky wave guides, package-level or board-level microstrip structures, as well as wire bonds to interconnect semiconductor chips and transmitter or receiver antennas.